AMS Provider Adds EC-145s To Organization's Fleet

Hot on the heels of receiving a $1 million contribution from ExxonMobil to go towards new helicopters, Houston-based Memorial Hermann Life Flight awarded American Eurocopter an order for six EC-145s, adding to the success of the twin-engine helicopter in the US air medical services (AMS) marketplace.

A long-time operator of Eurocopter rotary-wing aircraft -- beginning in 1976 as America's second air medical program, when it used the SA319B Alouette -- today's fleet at Memorial Life Flight includes four Eurocopter helicopters: three BK117s and a B0105.

"We are the only AMS provider in the greater Houston area capable of carrying loads of two patients with twin-engine speed and safety," said Tom Flanagan, chief operating officer of Memorial Hermann Life Flight.

"The EC145 will continue to provide us with these operational advantages, while also giving us a state-of-the art aircraft that is suited to our around-the-clock missions."

"This latest order is another confirmation of the EC145's value for providers of emergency medical services," said  American Eurocopter President Marc Paganini. "It also demonstrates our customer commitment, which spans three decades with Memorial Hermann Life Flight."

The EC145's performance, fast cruise speed, and large cabin make it the helicopter of choice for a growing number of AMS operators in the US and worldwide. For Memorial Hermann Life Flight's operations, the aircraft will be configured to accommodate special mission equipment and medical personnel for neonatal transports and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) patients.

The EC145's large sliding doors, rear clamshell loading doors and high-set main and tail rotors facilitate the loading of equipment and patients, all important attributes to AMS operators. Twin-engine safety is provided by the helicopter's Turbomeca ARRIEL 1E2 turbine powerplants.

A program of the 16-hospital Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston, Memorial Hermann Life Flight is based at the system's level one trauma center and teaching hospital, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. Life Flight was the first air ambulance program to operate in Texas, the second in the U.S. and has completed more than 110,000 missions since inception. Life Flight receives no federal, state or local monies and is entirely funded by Memorial Hermann and its philanthropic partners.

American Eurocopter is the American subsidiary of Eurocopter, the world's largest helicopter manufacturer. Its US headquarters and main facility are in Grand Prairie, TX, with a large new manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, MS.

FMI: www.eurocopterusa.com, www.hermannlifeflight.com